<p>Transcripts finally came out and I just sat down and pored over Son's. Every transcript he has received so far has contained at least one error and this important, senior year transcript is no exception. They have these hard to decipher letter codes to indicate if a class was AP, pre-AP etc. They had AP Psych classified as a "local credit" which is what teacher's aide and office aide are!</p>
<p>This is good advice. We know of several people who have had stuff incorrectly recorded. You need to micro manage it.</p>
<p>This is an improvement over the last transcript where three of his AP classes were not indicated as such.</p>
<p>Of course, my pet peeve is the cryptic abbreviations they come up with for some of the classes. Now that everything is computerized, it’s not the case of having to have abbreviations to shorten the work of a typist who has to type them all. They could certainly list the full names of the classes.</p>
<p>Here’s a quiz. What does “TACS” stand for?</p>
<p>Teacher Actually Cares Sometimes?
Two American Credit System?</p>
<p>No, but I’ll give you a hint. It is under the larger category of “Technical Applications.”</p>
<p>Technology and Computer Science? </p>
<p>I can’t believe the school sends out such a horrible transcript. Our course titles are very easy to read.</p>
<p>I think you win the prize 2blue. The actual name of the course is Computer Science. I can’t figure out why the abbreviation isn’t COMPSCI. My only hope for a school figuring out what the class is is that Son also took APTACS2. If they think about it, the AP Computer Science classes are the only AP technology classes. </p>
<p>Another favorite is: MUS4VOEN. 2blue, you’re on a roll. Care to guess?</p>
<p>My kids school offered a course called Biology II. It really was Biology II - a second more indepth year of Biology but not AP. They then changed the curriculum to Anatomy and Physiology. In fact, students could get dual credit at our CC for one semester of A&P.
They did not change the description of the course on the transcript. I asked about it - esp since my daughter was applying in a health care major.</p>
<p>NCAA regulations prevented changed the title of the course from Biology II to Anatomy and Physiology. ???</p>
<p>back to missypie - Gosh, yes - everyone needs to check the transcript with a fine tooth comb. Our lists clubs, sports, letters won, awards and offices held - mistakes are very common.
Our guidance counselors do sit down with every senior and they go over the transcript to ensure it is correct - but you know how kids are…</p>
<p>If I’m right do I win a visit to the college of my kid’s choice?</p>
<p>How about, Music 4 Vocal Ensemble? </p>
<p>JustAMom, I’ve never heard of entering clubs, letters, etc. on a transcript. If done correctly it seems like a nice idea as the school-related ECs are verified.</p>
<p>Yes!!! I only hope that the admissions officers are as clever as you are, 2blue!</p>
<p>I think I’ve found my calling in life. </p>
<p>I wonder if the counselor would attach a decrypted listing of the course titles to the transcript. It seems like it would be helpful.</p>
<p>Yes, yes, yes. We found errors on more than one occasion. Request an official copy to double-check before the GC office starts sending out materials to colleges.</p>
<p>A friend of mine who is an MD recently had to request a copy of her HS transcript for some reason–licensing in a new state, I think–and found significant errors on her HS transcript from 1970, none of which were in her favor. She’s now wondering if it affected her college acceptances, back in the day! :)</p>
<p>2blue - yes the entire high school career is on the transcript, including SAT and AP scores if they were taken and submitted to the school.</p>
<p>Attendance is on there as well. Another thing that should be reviewed.</p>
<p>I just received this email reply from the principal regarding the crazy abbreviations:</p>
<p>“The abbreviations used on the transcripts are the abbreviations that the state requires us to use. Our data entry enters a PEIMS code which is a state determined code for each individual class. That PEIMS code translates to an abbreviation that is determined by the state. Since the state requires these codes, there is no way we can change the transcripts, nor should we since every school using these PEIMS codes uses the same abbreviations. The post secondary schools are used to these codes since they are determined by the state. The same abbreviations hold true for the PAP and AP classes as well.”</p>
<p>Another boneheaded aspect of public education in Texas!</p>
<p>Yes, I caught an error about this time last year when my D was in her senior year of hs and about to send out transcripts. The school had simply failed to list on of the AP courses she was currently enrolled in. Errors do occur.</p>
<p>Ask your child’s counselor to give you a copy of the high school profile that is sent with the counselor report to all colleges to which the student applies. In theory, this high school profile should explain those crazy abbreviations (if they are not listed on the transcript) and it should explain the curriculum offered and the course weightings. We just rewrote and designed our high school’s profile to better reflect the challenging curriculum offered there. We have had many transcript errors and I always pay for an extra transcript with each batch one of my sons requests so that I can open one and verify that it is correct. You must be on top of this. It is very important that the transcript reflect what your child took and is taking. Most colleges agree that they look at the high school career as most important.</p>
<p>Parents-this advice to micro-manage your child’s transcript can not be emphasized enough. My experience–my DD had a perfect 4.0-all A’s. The Fall of her senior year-the transcript had a “C” in one of her classes. DD was surprised because by her calculations she earned an A. She met with her teacher to find out why the discrepancy and how she could best address the C. The teacher was surprised-as his paperwork he sent into the counseling office was for an A. He showed DD the paperwork he submitted.
He then gave a copy to my DD, along with a copy of a form he would submit to the counseling office alerting them of the error and a request to have it changed to reflect his original directive of an A earned by DD. As it turned out-this was important!
The counseling office had not yet fixed it 10 days later when I took the copies to the counseling office to check to see it was fixed, and transcripts were scheduled to go out the following week! I literally sat in the office(3+ hours)-and made sure the error was fixed-and I got a certified copy of the new transcript. Thank goodness I did that when I did, because the counseling office was determining who the likely validictorian would be and set up the rankings for the certified transcripts-that week!</p>
<p>If your student is applying to selective programs junior year that require a transcript, check the document then, too. One of S’s teachers had given him the incorrect grade in an AP class and a wrong transcript was sent to a program. Was not a problem to get a new version sent, and the organization was understanding, but it was a red flag to us that senior year, we needed to pay attention.</p>
<p>Absolutely check. The old timers around here will remember MY saga with DD’s incorrectly computed GPA…they were computing EVERYONE’s GPA’s incorrectly (we knew there was something wrong when her weighted GPA with honors and AP classes was LOWER than her unweighted). DS (some of you will recall this) had a transcript with a picture of some other person on it. Why they even HAD pictures is beyond me. They don’t anymore (my squawking stopped that practice too…). </p>
<p>I believe EVERY school should give EVERY student a copy of their transcript at the start of each school year. Check..and check again.</p>